“The elections in Pakistan in July were free and fair, except for procedural issues,” Qureshi told the Hindu. He was stationed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi as a member of the Commonwealth Observer Group over the polls.

The former Indian CEC said that most allegations of rigging in Pakistan were related to pre-poll activity, and dismissed reports of malpractice on the day of the election.

“We heard delegations from all major political parties, the media, civil society and rights groups to know their views. Almost all of them mentioned about pre-poll rigging,” he noted.

“The media delegation complained about indirect pressure, but these were months ahead of polls. While we were there, we found no-holds-barred debates, often brutal criticism of the establishment, which never gave the impression of any censorship,” Qureshi said.

He also said that shifting political loyalties ahead of elections was common across many places the world over. He referred to the phenomenon as “horse-trading”.

Qureshi also dispelled rumours regarding the role of security personnel deployed at polling stations around the country, saying the soldiers worked under electoral authorities. “We found that the army also did not have any role in the transmission of results from polling stations, where ballot papers are counted in Pakistan,” he said.

When asked if the elections were free and fair, Qureshi noted that the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), an association of 50 NGOs, deployed 19,000 observers at nearly 80 per cent polling stations.

“They gave a report stating that the election was absolutely credible and fair. There were lapses, but of procedural nature,” he added.